Chennai, Jan 29: Gandhiji has visited Tamil Nadu twenty times between 1896 and 1946. His association with Tamils started in South Africa while practising law. He has visited the interiors of the state and interacted with diverse personalities such as Kanchi saint
Chandrasekara Saraswati and E.V.Ramaswamy Periyar.
“His harijan yatras to the state were spurned by orthodox people. Though the Kanchi Acharya appreciated Gandhi’s devotion to God during the meeting between them in 1927, the Acharya objected to Gandhiji’s politics of inclusion of harijans. But Gandhiji ignored the criticism,” said A.Marx, author of the book Gandhi and Tamil orthodoxy.
Though rationalist leader E.V.Ramaswamy Periyar did not meet Gandhiji after July 1927, Periyar always had high regards for Gandhiji. When Gandhiji passed away in 1948, he suggested that India should be named Gandhistan. He also wanted Indian year and religion named after Gandhi.
It was during his visit to Madurai in 1925, he decided to change his attire to be seen as one with the poor peasants of the country. As he supported the temple entry agitation of the dalits and the OBCs, they were able to enter Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple in 1939 under the leadership of Vaidyanatha Iyer.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Chennai's encounters with the Mahatma
CHENNAI, JAN 29: Chennai's streets reverberate with memories of the
Mahatma. From the Victoria Public Hall near the Central railway station, Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya on Venkatnarayana Road, Srinivasa Iyengar's house in Alwarpet (now Chola Sheraton) to the Marina beach, the city has many bonds with Mahatma Gandhi.
During his first visit to the city in 1896, he spoke of the plight of Indian workers in South Africa at a meeting held in Pachayappan Hall near Parrys Corner. However, he made a more memorable speech at the Victoria Public Hall in 1915 during his second visit.
"Do you know that in the great city of Johannesburg, the Madrasis look on Madrasis as dishonoured if he or she has not passed through the jails once or twice during this terrible crisis that your countrymen in South Africa went through during these eight long years?" he asked in the meeting.
His third visit to the city in 1916 was to mobilise students for the freedom struggle. He addressed the students at the MadrasChristian College and Victoria Hostel.
While his fourth visit was a short one en route Patna in 1917, it was during his fifth visit in 1919, he addressed a gathering of nearly 15,000 people on the Marina beach. He met poet Subramania Bharathi during this visit.
His visits to the city invited both bouquets and brickbats.
His advice to the youth to marry young widows at a meeting in Pachayappan Hall during 1927 was criticized by a section of the local media.
During his last visit in 1946, he stayed at the Hindi Prachara Sabha in T.Nagar and addressed a prayer meeting of nearly one lakh people there.
Mahatma. From the Victoria Public Hall near the Central railway station, Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya on Venkatnarayana Road, Srinivasa Iyengar's house in Alwarpet (now Chola Sheraton) to the Marina beach, the city has many bonds with Mahatma Gandhi.
During his first visit to the city in 1896, he spoke of the plight of Indian workers in South Africa at a meeting held in Pachayappan Hall near Parrys Corner. However, he made a more memorable speech at the Victoria Public Hall in 1915 during his second visit.
"Do you know that in the great city of Johannesburg, the Madrasis look on Madrasis as dishonoured if he or she has not passed through the jails once or twice during this terrible crisis that your countrymen in South Africa went through during these eight long years?" he asked in the meeting.
His third visit to the city in 1916 was to mobilise students for the freedom struggle. He addressed the students at the MadrasChristian College and Victoria Hostel.
While his fourth visit was a short one en route Patna in 1917, it was during his fifth visit in 1919, he addressed a gathering of nearly 15,000 people on the Marina beach. He met poet Subramania Bharathi during this visit.
His visits to the city invited both bouquets and brickbats.
His advice to the youth to marry young widows at a meeting in Pachayappan Hall during 1927 was criticized by a section of the local media.
During his last visit in 1946, he stayed at the Hindi Prachara Sabha in T.Nagar and addressed a prayer meeting of nearly one lakh people there.
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